Micro-credentials

Micro-credentials

Certify your learning with a micro-credential from Adelaide University

Our quality-assured micro-credentials are designed for learners who want recognised outcomes from short, focused study.

Each program zeroes in on a specific skill or area of knowledge and has been developed in alignment with industry or professional standards to ensure relevance and real-world application.

Delivered online or in person, they fit seamlessly around work and life, and many can be completed in just weeks.

Adelaide University is proud to deliver the Micro-credentials for Classroom confidence plus a new Micro-credential, Supporting Autistic Learners, on behalf of the Australian Government Department of Education, as well as a host of other micro-credentials on subjects ranging from combat systems engineering to family business advisory.

The Australian Government has funded 4 FREE micro-credentials to upskill some of the most important members of our society: our teachers.

Whether you’re advancing your career, exploring a new direction, or strengthening your professional profile, micro-credentials offer a flexible, future-focused way to keep learning and keep moving forward.

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Evidence-based. Expert-informed. Cost-free.

We’ve created four specialised micro-credentials carefully tailored to meet the needs of school educators based on the latest research. With these free self-paced, practical courses, you can upskill quickly, meet your professional development requirements and transform your teaching — all on a flexible, digital platform.

Supporting Autistic Learners
ASPECT | Autism Spectrum Australia

Supporting Autistic Learners

Autistic students are part of every Australian school community. Understanding how autism may influence communication, learning, sensory processing, wellbeing and participation is essential to creating inclusive learning environments where all students can thrive. This micro-credential will help to build your confidence and capability to support Autistic learners through a combination of contemporary research and practical, evidence-informed strategies that can be applied immediately in your classroom or school. Structured around a Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) framework, you will explore universal, targeted and intensive approaches that strengthen learning, wellbeing and belonging, while developing a deeper understanding of strengths-based, neuro-affirming practice. The course will provide you with practical tools, resources and planning strategies, to strengthen your ability to work with families and support teams, and leave you better equipped to create positive, inclusive learning experiences that help Autistic students succeed.

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Classroom Management

Managing a classroom can be challenging. The good news? There are strategies that work. In this micro-credential, you’ll discover how to improve your classroom culture using preventative and proactive management strategies that work best for your context. We have engaged with the research and identified a multitude of practices that can help create a safe, predictable, productive and orderly classroom. Throughout the course, you’ll add a range of invaluable practices and other resources to your teaching toolkit. With our flexible, self-paced design, you can tailor your learning journey to fit your unique schedule and needs. This micro-credential also provides a supportive space to explore evidence-based approaches to classroom management, where you can participate in online forums, connect with other educators across Australia and leave ready to lead classrooms with high learning expectations.

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Classroom Management

Explicit Teaching

Want to make the most of the learning in your classroom? Explicit teaching is an evidence-based approach to effectively teach new curriculum content. It is a student-focused practice that fosters understanding. It requires teachers to show students what to do and how to do it. In this course, you will explore evidence-based strategies you can use to plan, implement and assess explicit teaching sessions in a way that supports the needs of diverse cohorts of students. These include strategies such as modelling, breaking down complex tasks through chunking and how to check for understanding. You’ll develop lesson plans grounded in explicit teaching methodologies, collaborate with other educators and leave prepared to teach with newfound precision, clarity and impact.

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Explicit Teaching

Teaching Phonics

Are you looking for ways to help your students bridge the gap between letters and their sounds? Phonics is the cornerstone of early literacy, yet many teachers do not feel confident in teaching phonics in a systematic and explicit way. This course provides insights into the teaching of phonics for both primary and secondary teachers and identifies the critical evidence-based strategies and practices that support student learning, using the latest research. You’ll take a deep-dive into the theories that underpin phonics and the contemporary instructional approaches that can support you to embed systematic synthetic phonics teaching into your daily practice, including with diverse cohorts of students. You will also consider the position of phonics within a broader literacy program. Supported by an online community of peers, you will connect with other educators across Australia and leave better prepared to help your students develop the phonics skills they need.

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Teaching Phonics

Frequently asked questions

The micro-credentials are designed for Australian-based school teachers (early years, primary and secondary), school leaders, other education professionals within the school setting and pre-service teachers.

The micro-credentials have no prerequisites for enrolling, and assumed knowledge will be communicated where relevant.

The micro-credentials are flexible and self-paced in design, so you can tailor your learning journey to fit into your lifestyle. They cover 48 hours of learning, split into four distinct modules. Each module is divided into small, logically connected topics of approximately 1.5 hours of learning each. This allows you to learn in the way that works best for you.

The topics feature a mix of practitioner videos and activities, readings, practice strategies, resources and tools. These are complemented by opportunities for self-reflection and online community discussions.

There is no set timeframe in which you need to complete each micro-credential — you can study at your own pace. If you have more free time, you could speed up your work to finish sooner. If you're new to online learning or haven't studied in a while, scheduling your study times in shorter bursts may be helpful.

The courses are designed to be recognised by Teacher Registration Boards. All three micro-credentials are aligned to the Australian Professional Standards for Teachers to meet the professional development requirements for non-accredited programs all the way to the highly accomplished level. If you wish to count a course towards your mandatory professional development hours, we recommend that you confirm the requirements with your teaching authority.

Our micro-credentials are delivered online only, making them accessible for Australian-based school educators and pre-service teachers nationwide, including in remote areas.

What will I receive when I complete a micro-credential?

When you successfully complete:

  • a module within one of the micro-credentials.
  • a micro-credential in full; and/or
  • the capstone assessment.

You will be awarded a digital badge from Adelaide University. A digital badge is a graphic that can be shared on your LinkedIn, website or email signature that is designed to help you validate and communicate your achievement. It links to metadata that provides more information about the specific micro-credential you have completed. Many employers and educational institutions recognise and value digital badges as evidence of specific skills, achievements, or competencies – while offering you, as the learner, an opportunity to enhance your credibility and recognition within your field.

Course completion offers a potential credit pathway toward post-graduate study at Adelaide University. Participants need to successfully complete at least three modules across at least two micro-credentials (three modules in total) to be eligible to undertake the assessment credential. If you seek a credit transfer, we recommend you liaise with your chosen institution, as each one will have their own policy for how they assess and award credit.

Once you have completed at least three modules across at least two micro-credentials, we will email you the enrolment link for the assessment credential within four weeks from your completion of the third module.

If you are a current Adelaide University student, please submit the online ‘Application for Academic Credit’ form to the College of Education, Behavioural and Social Sciences. You will need to present three badges of three completed modules across at least two micro-credentials; the ‘Classroom Confidence Assessment Credential’ badge; and course outlines.

If you are not an Adelaide University student and hold a Bachelor of Teaching qualification or equivalent, please contact Dr Ruth Aston at ruth.aston@adelaide.edu.au.

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowledge the invaluable contributions of our diverse stakeholders to the development of the Micro-credentials for Classroom Confidence, including:

Explore all micro-credentials

Short courses

Discover online and in-person short courses, designed to give you the skills and confidence to achieve your goals – both professionally and personally.

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Professional certificates

Online, self-paced study, perfect for learners seeking more than a single course but without the cost or commitment of a full-time degree.

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